Eyes squinting, I march my way over to the nearest tree. As I run my hands over it, I feel it is rough, exfoliating and dry, just like the world. The day is blindingly bright, not a cloud to be seen, and I struggle to see - not from the fine sun, but from the layer

of darkness the world is currently wrapped in. We’ve just got to be positive; maintain hope.

Hope. An interesting word I used there. It brings a feeling of joy and eternity and something to look forward to. It hurts like a needle pierced through your heart when you figure out that hope is just a lie.

…

I gaze at the remarkable sight of the moonlit, angelic waterfall at the far end of the cave. I take one last look at the glossy, vast walls and climb out of the hollow cave towards the paradise. I’ve done it! Finally, after two immensely long weeks, I can now tick off “Exploring Caves” on my bucket list. The feeling of achieving your targets and standing face to face with your goal is

like you have conquered the world. I’ve got to admit, crawling on your knees, having barely enough space to stand, and feeling like the walls are closing in on you are not the best situations to be in, but what an experience this was. Just a month ago, I was living my dream scuba diving across the sea on the beach in Hawaii, feeling the warm, moist breeze go through me and after, I enjoyed an exotic cocktail drink in a small, traditional hut, and here I am. When my adventure ends, I don’t need

to mourn for long as in the next month, I am booked to go skydiving in the Grand Canyon with my best friends.

When we were all stuck in quarantine, when freedom and hope was lost and forgotten, my mind would travel to places such as harmonious beaches, heavenly waterfalls and boisterous shopping trips to the mall. Now a year later, my imagination

became a reality; I am living like there is no past. I was wrong. Hope is not a lie. Hope IS something to look forward to and it DOES bring feelings of comfort and eternity. That is why you should never give up hope. I have just finished booking my next

trip to Chile to visit the prodigious Atacama Desert – I should go there after my skydiving experience.

Where will hope take me next?

By Heba, Year 8